1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card ejecting device, and more particularly to a card ejecting device for causing a card inserted in a holder having contacts to be ejected from the holder.
2. Description of the Related Art
In electronic equipment, a card having information, such as a PC card, is inserted into the electronic equipment as required and in such a manner as to be capable of replacing a different card, and is connected to a circuit of the electronic equipment, so as to enhance the functions of the electronic equipment. The card is accommodated in a holder through an insertion slit provided in the electronic equipment. Contacts are provided in the holder, and the card is electrically connected to the contacts and cooperates with a circuit portion in the equipment, to which the contacts are connected.
When the card is unnecessary or is replaced with another card, the card is removed from the electronic equipment, and the removal is effected by a card ejecting mechanism. The card ejecting mechanism generally has an eject lever having an eject button, which is operated from the outside, a link mechanism connected thereto, and a slider which receives the force from the eject lever through the link mechanism and presses the card while the movement of the slider is guided by the holder, so as to move the card to a removing position.
The basic principle of operation of the holder and the slider is shown in FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B), for example.
In FIG. 4(A), a stepped guide portion 51A for accommodating a card C is provided in a holder 51, and a space for insertion of the card C is formed by the stepped guide portion 51A and a half case-shaped cover member 52 attached to an upper surface side of the holder 51. The space is open rightwardly in FIG. 4(A). In addition, a slider 53 which is guided by the cover member 52 is provided on the holder 51. The slider 53 is provided with a pressing portion 53A which is formed by being bent on its rear end side. The slider 53 is engaged with a link mechanism (not shown) attached to the cover member 52, and the link mechanism is connected to an eject lever (not shown) having an eject button which is operated from the outside.
When the card C is inserted from the right-hand side into the inserting space formed by the holder 51 and the cover member 52, and is accommodated in a predetermined position in FIG. 4(A), resiliently contacting portions (not shown) of contacts held by the holder 51 are brought into contact with circuit portions formed on the surface of the card C. Hence, the card C is electrically connected to a predetermined circuit in the electronic equipment, to which the contacts are connected.
When the card C is to be removed, a user of the electronic equipment presses the aforementioned eject button. The eject lever transmits this pressing force (the force oriented in the leftward direction in the drawing) to the slider 53 through the link mechanism as a force for moving the slider 53 in the forward direction (a force oriented in the rightward direction in the drawing). Upon receiving this force, the slider 53 moves by a distance L1 in the rightward direction so as to cause the card C to project in the forward direction from the cover member 52 of the holder 51 by a large amount by means of the pressing portion 53A of the slider 53, thereby moving the card to a removing position, as shown in FIG. 4(B).
With the card C shown in FIG. 4(B), the larger the projecting distance for ejection, the larger the amount of the card C projecting from the inlet of the inserting slit in the electronic equipment and the more the removal is facilitated. Due to the tendency of demand for compact electronic equipment, the size of the device, i.e., the holder and the cover member, in the ejecting direction is generally designed to a small size up to a limit. To increase the projecting distance of the card for the ejection of the card, it is conceivable to reduce the dimension of the cover member in the aforementioned direction. In the above-described situation, however, it is difficult to do so, and if that dimension is reduced more than is necessary, the function of holding the card, the function of protecting the contacts, and the like would be impaired.